Moreira Magic Carries Embroidery to Oka Sho Glory

[Wandering Eyes]

Joao Moreira made it back-to-back wins in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas) as Embroidery (Jpn) followed up last year's victory aboard Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) for the Brazilian-born jockey known worldwide as the “Magic Man”. Sunday's Hanshin triumph also saw Embroidery become the first Group 1 winner for her sire, Admire Mars (Jpn), from his very first crop of three-year-olds since taking up stud duties at Shadai Stallion Station.

Trained by Kazutomo Mori, Embroidery entered the 1,600-metre contest as a leading contender after a two-and-a-half-length defeat of Ma Puce (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) in February's G3 Queen Cup at Tokyo. She was sent off the third choice of punters, with Erika Express (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) narrowly preferred to Arma Veloce (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) at the head of the betting. Erika Express arrived as the unbeaten winner of January's G3 Fairy Stakes at Nakayama, while Arma Veloce was having her first start since winning the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at Kyoto in December, a performance which saw her crowned Japan's champion two-year-old filly of 2024.

Favourite Erika Express was sent straight to the front by Keita Tosaki, but she was a spent force entering the final 200 metres as her early exertions appeared to take their toll. Instead, it was Embroidery and Arma Veloce who the eye was immediately drawn to once the long-time leader's stride began to shorten, both having made smooth headway from mid-division, before Moreira briefly had to wait for a gap aboard the eventual winner. Soon joined by Arma Veloce after being produced to lead inside the final furlong, the pair proceeded to battle it out in a thrilling duel, with Embroidery always doing just enough to get the verdict by a neck. Lynx Tip (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), runner-up in February's G3 Kisaragi Sho when last seen, was another two and a half lengths back in third, with the same distance back to Ma Puce in fourth. Erika Express was only fifth.

“It's another Group 1 win in Japan [following the Takamatsunomiya Kinen] which I would say is rather difficult,” said Moreira. “No doubt, I'm extremely happy. We didn't really know how she was going to handle the track as it's been raining for nearly half of the day. There was a lot of moisture out there and not many of the horses out there could handle it, but she proved that she can and I'm just a lucky boy to have been able to sit on a nice horse in another Group 1 race in Japan.

“She was able to get the split between horses and then really had to fight as there was company coming from the outside. She really had to let down and show what she's got and she really won well. The surface definitely didn't affect her at all and I'm extremely pleased to have been given a chance to ride another very special horse in Japan. Having won as she did today, I have no doubt that she will be competitive once again in her next start and I will be hoping she will run as well she did today.”

Silk Racing's Embroidery represents the same owners as the great Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who won the Oka Sho, as well as the other two legs of the Japanese Triple Tiara, back in 2018. Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) became the seventh filly to win all three legs in 2023, with the next leg this year coming on Sunday, May 25 when Tokyo hosts the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks).

Prior to winning the Queen Cup, Embroidery was a dual winner from four starts as a two-year-old. After an encouraging debut at Tokyo last June, she went on to register a breakthrough success at Niigata the following month, before finishing fifth in September's Saffron Sho at Nakayama. She then returned to Tokyo in November to double her career tally.

 

The magic man, Joao Moreira was at his brilliant best this morning!

Embroidery weaved her way to Grade One success in the Grade One Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas) at Hanshin!@netkeiba | #JRA | #競馬 pic.twitter.com/smmKUaGaQ6

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 13, 2025

 

Pedigree Notes

A son of Daiwa Major (Jpn), Admire Mars was Japan's champion two-year-old colt of 2018 when his victories included the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. His Classic bid the following year ended in defeat when he finished fourth in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas), but he went on to prove himself among the world's best milers with further top-level wins in the NHK Mile Cup and the Hong Kong Mile. Retired to Shadai Stallion Station after finishing third in the 2020 edition of the Hong Kong Mile, he was the sire of 16 individual winners in Japan last year when his first crop of juveniles hit the racecourse, with Embroidery then becoming his first Group winner earlier this year when landing the Queen Cup.

Embroidery is one of two winners from as many runners out of the Kurofune mare Rottenmeier (Jpn) (Kurofune), who contested the Queen Cup herself when finishing third in 2016, before winning a Listed race at Hanshin on her next start. Embroidery's third dam is the Japanese champion two-year-old filly Biwa Heidi (Jpn) (Caerleon), whose notable progeny include the Japanese Horse of the Year Buena Vista (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}); Japanese champion two-year-old filly Joie de Vivre (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}); G2 Kyoto Kinen winner and sire Admire Aura (Jpn); G3 Epsom Cup hero and sire Tosen Reve (Jpn); Listed-winning sire Admire Japan (Jpn); and G2 Flora Stakes heroine Sang Real (Jpn) (Zenno Rob Roy {Jpn}).

 

Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
OKA SHO (JAPANESE 1000 GUINEAS)-G1, ¥307,130,000, Hanshin, 4-13, 3yo, f, 1600mT, 1:33.10, gd.
1–EMBROIDERY (JPN), 121, f, 3, by Admire Mars (Jpn)
      1st Dam: Rottenmeier (Jpn) (SW & GSP-Jpn, $547,816), by Kurofune
      2nd Dam: Adelheid (Jpn), by Agnes Tachyon (Jpn)
      3rd Dam: Biwa Heidi (Jpn), by Caerleon
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
T-Kazutomo Mori; J-Joao Moreira; ¥168,791,000. Lifetime
Record: 6-4-1-0, ¥224,551,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Arma Veloce (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Harbinger (GB)–Rakuami (Jpn),
by Daiwa Major (Jpn). (¥30,000,000 Wlg '22 JRHJUL). O-TO
RACING; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥64,226,000.
3–Lynx Tip (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Kitasan Black (Jpn)–Dance With
Kitten, by Kitten's Joy. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Sunday
Racing; B-Shiraoi Farm (Jpn); ¥39,113,000.
Margins: NK, 2HF, 2HF. Odds: 5.00, 3.80, 6.80.
Also Ran: Ma Puce (Jpn), Erika Express (Jpn), Cerbiatto (Jpn), Primzahl (Jpn), Voulezvous (Jpn), Brown Ratchet (Jpn), Shonan Xanadu (Jpn), Vip Daisy (Jpn), Bonne Soiree (Jpn), Namura Clara (Jpn), Water Gerbera (Jpn), Kurino Mei (Jpn), Dantsu Elan (Jpn), Mistress (Jpn), Twilight City (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.

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